Her Butler: A Demon
by IcarusLogic
Summary: A young woman has been exposed to the darkness of the world through its lies, betrayals, and deaths. With too many painful memories and fewer people to trust, she is afraid to search for what she needs, someone to love. Stricken mad with grief, she seals a contract with a demon to find a man she loved but was separated from long ago. However, the world is still as cruel as ever.
1. A Sealed Contract

The sky was dark, the stars engulfed by the night with the moon not even daring to show its pale face. To many, it was beautiful, provided how the simplicity was so complicated, so vast, so infinite. While some saw peace on heaven and earth, just as many others felt nothing besides fear. They can see only the unknown, that of which terrifies most mortal men. They fear what lurks in the shadows and the darkness. They fear its prominence at night, and others fear the evil that could one day consume them or the people around them.

Yet among them all, a lone figure walked without that fear. Without that admiration. She had seen and felt too much pain to fear the evil of others. The feeling of searching for someone to love. The feeling of believing to find that person, only to have them reveal their darker nature after its too late to go back. The feeling of needing to protect her children from him. The feeling of it being all in vain. She knew it all too well, so she trusted no one. No one save one man. This man she trusted with all her heart, but she had yet to see him again as they had been apart, for what seemed to her, centuries.

As she walked through her garden, the tall hedges surrounding her and the millions of ornate flowers filling her nose with the sweetest of aromas, she glanced back on her memories of him. The way he had held her in his arms. The warmth of his chest against her cheeks as she embraced him. The softness of his lips against hers. The safety she had felt with him. His scent of the roses. The true, powerful, unwavering love in his eyes when he looked at her. It had all been so wonderful.

And it had been gone for years.

Her slow pace quickened, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. As the happy memories started to burst into her present reality, she soon was running. The monstrous size of her house was being reduced to a cottage in the distance. By now she had subconsciously run into the woods in her garden however she couldn't even tell where she was running anymore, so she didn't notice the transition from the open grass to the dense trees. It didn't matter. She wouldn't have cared anyways.

As she ran, she shouted out, crying for this man. She wanted nothing more than to see him again and to be by his side for the rest of her life. This desire burned in her heart, for while she would go to the ends of the earth to have her wish, she felt that it would be impossible to find him again. And as her wish began to consume her entire mind, body, and soul, she began slowing down but kept walking on. And the tears continued to flow.

For a while she didn't notice the grass and ground transition to stones. Or that the stones transitioned to elaborate, ocean blue, reptilian scales which seemed to cover the ground. She also didn't notice that the trees were becoming more scarce, and the ones remaining were thin, blackened, and dead. Only once the trees were completely gone did she notice the change in her environment. Looking up at the sky, it was still as black as coal, but it was different than when she had entered the forest. It was almost as if the sky itself radiated an aura of malevolence that blocked out sight of anything more than about a mile away which was easy to see as there were no obstructions on this endless sea of scales. With fear finally beginning to wrap its fingers around her again, she turned around to go back the way she came, but she was shocked to see that the scales extended back that way too. Confused as to how she had gotten here, she turned again to face the direction she had originally been walking in. _Maybe there's something up ahead_ , she thought. Her mind set, she continued going forward looking for anything that might signify where she was. She didn't have to walk very long.

Soon, she saw a tree in the distance. Grasping onto any hope she could attain, she ran to the tree as fast as she could. Once she got close, she noticed it was a cherry tree, the biggest one she had ever seen. The trunk was even bigger than that of a redwood tree and the height was also just as proportionately bigger. However it was different than other cherry trees. Its trunk was as black as the ominous sky, and the cherry blossoms were the same ocean blue as the scales that engulfed the ground. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and at the same time, it was the most terrifying thing as well. It was almost as if the tree itself was daring her to approach it, challenging her to either come forwards or turn back.

Conflicted and confused, the young woman stood her ground, debating with herself whether or not to go forwards to the tree or not. She tried to calm herself down and consider the consequences of either decision. Despite her attempts, it was difficult given her situation. She was terrified that the cherry tree's looming presence that beckoned to her might result in her demise should she choose to go towards it. Although, while she acknowledged that likely possibility, she was forced to realize that even if she did decide to turn back and manage to go home, her pain and despair would eat away at her until there was nothing left. She stepped forward, her eyes brimming with fierce determination and loathing, rejecting everything she had felt in life except the existence of the loving man who flitted across her mind until she had cast aside every fear that delved within her that caused doubt to belittle her spirit.

In mere seconds she had come close enough to reach her hand out and extend her fingers to touch the bark of the cherry tree's trunk. The trunk itself felt a bit different than she expected, though. She knew it was a fruit among vegetables however she never would have thought that the wood would be quite so smooth. It was almost like a tablecloth that someone had smoothed out so as to remove every last wrinkle and ridge from its surface making it look even more beautiful and elegant.

Suddenly, as if in reaction to her touching the tree, a strong voice boomed throughout her head and to the reaches of the scales while at the same time not having presence in the physical world. One could say it was the voices of spirits. Or perhaps, the voice of just one.

 _The dye has been cast._

The girl turned around frantically, her eyes darting across the landscape but seeing nothing and no one. She walked a small distance away from the cherry tree, hoping to see who or what had spoken. Desperate for an answer and getting a bit impatient, she shouted out.

"Is someone out there?!"

She didn't expect a response.

 _Yes._

She was shocked to hear the voice speak out a second time. It was deep and raspy with a slight growl giving it a bit of an edge, however it also had a softness to it. One that made it almost seem kind. She shook her head. She didn't trust this voice. It made her too uneasy. Along with this kindness she believed might have been there, she felt waves and waves of darkness and corruption. It seemed to almost hiss through the scales themselves, so it was very difficult to determine where the voice emanated from.

"Where are you?"

 _You really don't know?_

"No! I don't!" she shouted getting a bit irritated at the mocking tone she heard.

 _They say it's bad luck to keep us waiting. And even worse to leave us waiting after being summoned._

Suddenly a great force locked the woman's muscles, completely immobilizing her. She struggled in vain, for she couldn't break free of the invisible force. As her body began turning around, she realized what he had meant by saying that.

The cherry tree.

She now faced it head on, unable to run to or away from what came next. Hearing a slight rumbling noise, she looked up to the top of the tree where the mass of blossoms were.

In a single dark spot among the blossoms, she saw something move. She nearly screamed in terror as something gigantic burst out from the petals and flew down to a surprisingly graceful landing. It all happened so fast, she had barely been able to see it. It was almost as if it had gone instantly from the top of the tree to the base. The blossoms that had shook loose floated down around this creature in front of her, highlighting its powerful aura.

Its fangs and talons were pale as moonlight, both the size of an average full grown man, and its eyes were similar in color however they seemed to be radiating a white fire. Tufts of elaborate fur decorated the top of its chest and along its spine and its four legs, the same color as the scales that adorned the ground. The beast had scales of its own, a dark indigo with black outlines, which covered the rest of its thin but strong body. But the most extravagant feature this creature had was its massive wings. The beast's scales extended up the skeletal structure of the wings as well, and the wings themselves which were a light blue, were so large that they could expand across an entire football field.

The girl remembered what she had thought of the cherry tree earlier. How it had been the most beautiful yet the most terrifying thing she had ever seen.

It baled in comparison to this majestic creature.

She heard another low rumbling noise which it seemed to be making while it closed its eyes. It took her a moment to realize it was laughing.

 _Am I really so terrifying that you appear to shake in fear?_

She tried as hard as she could to grab a hold of herself. "You're more intimidating than you think."

 _It is in our nature. My kind that is_ , it said, the corners of its jaw curling up, almost grinning with pride.

"What are you exactly?"

 _A demon. One you summoned inadvertently. You see, it's more like I came to you, for I heard the cries of your soul._

"My soul was screaming?"

 _Yes. Very loudly across the spiritual world in fact. I don't doubt that other demons wished to get here first, but I happened to be nearby when it happened._

A question started to nag at her mind. "Why did you bring me here?"

 _I wish to make you a deal._

"A deal?"

 _Well, in our situation and terminology this is a contract, a seal between a human and demon. The demon provides the human with absolute service and must follow the will of their master or mistress until they have reached their goal agreed at the beginning terms of the contract. The demon must protect the human from lethal physical harm to assure the human's goal is fulfilled._

She thought for a moment. "What if the human dies naturally before their goal is achieved?"

 _That has never happened. We are very good at our jobs, and we have been doing this since the beginning of mankind's existence. And once the goal is fulfilled, the demon receives a certain form of payment._

"I knew it. You want either my soul or my life, right?! That's the only reason you want to help me, isn't it?!"

The demon was silent for a moment, enraging the girl even more.

 _No._

"Liar!"

 _Allow me to explain._

"I don't want you to explain anything to me!"

 _There are various types of demons, some of which rely on a different source of sustenance._

He definitely had her attention now.

 _In other words, no, I don't desire your soul or any other to feed upon._

She was extremely confused. "What exactly do you want then?"

 _I am a creature of darkness, and I love every single aspect of it. While the payment must be linked between the two parties of the contract, one of them does not have to lose their life, so I have a developed taste for raw and purely negative emotions instead. Basically, if you engaged in a contract with me, once I helped you achieve you goal, I would take away all your worst feelings of sadness, anger, and pain. I would feed on it, giving me the darkness I thrive in and you the freedom you've desired for years._

She considered the proposal for a minute. It seemed too good to be true. Could it really take away every last shred of pain and misery she had experienced? She didn't doubt the truth in its words, but she wasn't sure if she truly desired to be without it all. If she agreed, and her pain and sorrow were taken away, it could all happen again.

 _You need not worry about losing the experience you gained from your past mistakes._

She was a bit shocked at this. "Why not?"

 _All this would do for you is guarantee that those memories would not bring back any more pain for you in the future._

She realized that if all of it was true, she could finally regain happiness again. There didn't seem to be a negative part of the contract for either one of them. As for her goal, she already knew what she wanted.

"How do I seal the contract?"

 _Are you agreeing to the terms?_

"I am."

 _Then do we have a deal?_

The demon's eyes suddenly began glowing furiously, partially illuminating the soulless sky.

"Yes, we have a deal."

As soon as those words left her mouth, the invisible force that had been holding her released her, and the scales on the floor whipped up off the ground into a raging whirlwind. The scales made the air so dense she couldn't see more than a foot in front of her own face, blocking out the demon and the cherry tree from her line of vision. And from somewhere in the middle of the storm its voice boomed out again.

 _Then seal the contract with a name for me._

She didn't even have to think about it. A name for a creature as majestic yet terrifying as this.

"Victor Anguis."

Suddenly she felt a hot, burning sensation on the top of her right breast. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself not to scream from the pain. When it had finally subsided, she looked down and saw a sky blue pentagram emblazoned on her chest. She was a bit startled at first, but soon she realized what it meant. As she looked up once more at the dense air, the scales began drifting a bit apart. Through the open space she saw the silhouette of a tall, lean man, and while she couldn't see any features on his face, she saw his eyes glowing red. Even though they were a different color than before the scales had risen, she felt a slight familiarity with the glow in his eyes.

 _Our contract is sealed, Sophia LaFontaine._


	2. The Morning Routine

In a four poster, king size bed, a young lady in her late twenties lie sleeping, her mid-length auburn hair sprawled across the pillow like a bright shadow skimming across the horizon. She slept in peace, her eyes relaxed in their closed state while her mind created blissful, enchanting dreams of a man, unsettling in appearance with messy brown hair and eyes that were as blue and as piercing as arctic ice. Yet he seemed to possess a heart that was truly of gold. She lied in this everlasting dream savoring ever single moment, for Sophia LaFontaine knew even while she was awake that this man was the only one for her. The dream engulfing her conscience, she could almost feel the heavenly pressure on her lips and the warmth of his reassuring embrace. That is until she was awoken by a ray of light being shed on her face.

"Mistress, it's time to wake up."

Opening her eyes, Sophia was just barely able to catch a glimpse of the silhouette of a tall, lean man in a tuxedo walking across the room, away from the drapes he had drawn which adorned her large, wall length, double door windows. Understanding the importance of her attendance to her very busy schedule, Sophia sat up in her bed, prepared to address the day's itinerary. Once she had sat up completely, Sophia stretched her arms out, rapidly blinking her eyes so as to adjust them to the new light of the room. Turning to the direction of the man, now standing at the foot of her bed with a rolling cart at his side, she gave him a small nod, indicating to him that she was awake and ready for the daily routine. The man immediately indicated retrieval of this message by turning and preparing a small cup of tea on the cart he had stationed next to himself.

"For today's morning tea I have prepared for you a cup of Yorkshire Gold. I have prepared it for you using a Chinese porcelain tea set as you seem to have taken a liking to it over the past few years," he said, smiling all the while.

Sophia yawned as she placed her legs over the side of the bed. "Don't tease me Victor. You know that's been my favorite set even before I met you."

Victor placed the teapot down and walked over towards Sophia, bringing the cup of tea with him and chuckling as he did so. "Yes, I know. But nevertheless, you should know that consistencies can be dangerous. They reflect patterns upon you, and the last thing we want a predator to do is to see a pattern in his prey."

It was Sophia's turn to chuckle. "Calling other people predators now, eh? Last I checked there's one predator that protects me in the meantime," she said, her eyes half open, grinning at Victor.

He did not hesitate to grin with her. "Indeed there is, and you only need one to keep all of the other ones away. Right, my Lady?"

Now fully awake, Sophia glanced at Victor head on. Indeed with his long, shoulder length hair outlining his pale face and chocolate brown eyes, he did seem somewhat of a predator. Sophia's smile wavered.

"Mistress, is everything alright?" he asked, concern spreading across his face like a fire in a forest.

Giving herself a small shake so as to give herself the necessary mental rebound, she glanced back at Victor politely taking the cup of tea fro his outstretched arm and said, "I'm fine Victor. Why don't we get ready for the day and we can address my schedule for the day."

Victor smiled. "Very well my young mistress." He then proceeded to inform her of the breakfast options. "For this morning, I will have our chef prepare you -,"

Sophia raised her arm, cutting Victor off mid-sentence. When he appeared confused, Sophia smiled and said, "Victor, I understand you like to keep your composure professional however Selena and the others have been with us for a while. You can address them by name when around me. I know you do when you're talking directly to them."

Victor smiled and began again. "My apologies Miss. For this morning, I will have Selena prepare for you a tray of belgian waffles with chocolate syrup and our homemade whipped cream on the top. I shall ask her to accompany that with a glass of lemonade. As for a side dish, I can ask her to arrange a small fruit salad or a few breakfast sausages. Which would you prefer?"

"I'll take the fruit salad."

"Understood. I assume you can address your clothes yourself then?"

Sophia sighed and said, "Victor we have discussed before that I am an adult who can handle herself. I don't need you to baby me."

"Very well my Lady," Victor said, smiling as he turned to leave the room.

* * *

As he went into the hallway, Victor began walking back towards the manor's main kitchen. In order to do so, he needed to go to the end of the main hallway, down the main staircase, and into the service hall. As he walked down the main hallway and descended the main staircase, Victor glanced at each of the portraits lined on the walls of the manor. He smiled as he saw several portraits of Sophia, either in elaborate garments or in her more simple, yet still quite beautiful work dresses. However, he lost his smile when he saw the portrait at the head of the main staircase. It held Sophia like many of the other ones, but this one also included two children, a young boy and a teenage girl. Both of them were quite beautiful, and they really took after their mother however Victor nor anyone else would ever have the chance to meet them.

 _I don't know the peace of heaven, but I do hope it's treating them well at least._

Victor continued walking, focusing instead on the task at hand, Sophia's day plan. Once he got to the door of the kitchen, he opened it and stepped inside. As he did, he was greeted by the flawless white tiles on the walls, ceiling, and floor contrasted by the silver shine of the metal stove, oven, and tabletops and the black and metallic surfaces of the hundreds of pots, pans, and other various cooking utensils, lined up on the walls and in the cabinets. Victor also found a delightful aroma drifting through the air which appeared to be emanating from the waffle presses which were turned on and lying on top of the counter. And of course he could not miss the lady tending to these presses in her all white chef's uniform as she hummed a tune which he recognized as an excerpt from Mozart's Requiem. Selena was twenty eight years old, only one year older than Sophia, with short black hair and dark blue eyes. She was also only two inches over five feet and quite petite in her overall appearance. As for her work, she was quite the cook, able to whip up fabulous meals and courses with hardly any effort to which she even impressed Victor a bit.

As he approached her, she looked up at him and flashed him a big white smile. "Victor, the waffles are almost ready!"

"Very nice work Selena," he said, returning her smile. "Now I don't suppose you could fix a fruit salad to go along with the waffles?"

"No problem at all!" she exclaimed, running to the fruit cellar. "I'll have the salad done in ten minutes."

"Very good," Victor replied, satisfied with her progress, "I'll be back in that amount of time exactly. I must attend to check on the others in the meantime."

"Understood, sir!"

Victor then turned and walked towards the back end of the kitchen, intending to go outside using the kitchen door. However before he could reach the door, another lady, wearing a black maid's uniform with white laced ends and edges, burst out of the pantry shouting, "Selena! I found the chocolate you asked f-,"

She was stopped mid-sentence by running straight into Victor's chest, Victor was unmoved from her actions however the impact made her let go of the chocolate bar she was holding. As a result, it flew across the room, appearing to be heading towards the waffle presses. Fortunately, another lady, also wearing a maid's uniform, had come into the kitchen, and she was able to catch the bar with her one free hand. This girl was twenty four years old and five feet and eight inches tall. She had medium length dark brown hair along with dark green eyes and pale skin.

"Thank goodness," she muttered, "That could have been a disaster."

"Rebecca," Victor said staring down at the girl who had run into him, "How many times must I remind you not to run in the kitchen? It's dangerous."

"S-s-s-sorry!" Rebecca exclaimed, backing away from Victor. Rebecca was thin and very well muscularly toned, and she was also approximately five feet and eight inches. She was twenty four years old, and her long hair was a light brown while she had light green eyes and pale skin.

And she also was slightly attracted to Victor.

"i really was just trying to help Selena!" she exclaimed, trying to explain herself.

Victor sighed and said, "It's fine however I think she has this under control. You, on the other hand, should focus more on your own work. I believe you need to clean the windows and furniture in the main dining room."

"Yes sir!"

Victor turned and faced the other maid who had caught the chocolate bar. "Angelina, if you could help keep an eye on your sister, I would greatly appreciate that."

Angelina nodded, and beckoned for Rebecca to come with her.

As Rebecca rushed to the door to the service hall, Victor opened the door leading to the outside. He took in the bright sun and the beautiful flowers that were trimmed to ultimate precision in the bushed that were lined along the sides of the manor. He glanced around among all of the gorgeous gardening and architecture and saw another lady trimming one of the trees. Without hesitating, he walked over to her across the gravel path to talk with her.

"Good morning, Venetia," he said, smiling.

"Good morning, Victor," she replied, smiling at him while she climbed down from the ladder. Venetia was a blond with bright blue eyes, standing at five feet and six inches. She was thirty years old, and she loved gardening more than anything. As the manor's gardener, she wore dark brown pants and a light green shirt along with beige gardening gloves and occasional gray knee pads.

After she wiped her pants down, Victor reminded her of the situation he had discusses with the servants earlier. "Remember, the trees lined along the driveway must have white roses laced throughout them, and you must be prepared to greet these people."

"Very well, Victor. Is that all?"

"Yes, you may continue."

Venetia turned around to continue her work with the tree trimming, and Victor headed back into the manor. Once he got back inside, Victor walked past the pantry and went up to Selena who had stacked the waffles, covered them with freshly melted chocolate and whipped cream, and was finishing the fruit salad.

"Nicely done, Selena," Victor said.

"Why thank you very much, Victor!"

"Now if you'll excuse me," he said, placing the plates and the food onto a silver platter, "I must go to retrieve the Mistress. If you would, set the table in the dining hall and prepare this food in accordance with it."

"Yes sir!"

Within a few minutes Victor had left the kitchen and had made his way back up through the manor to Sophia's bedroom door. As he knocked on her door he heard a reply.

"Come in," Sophia called out.

As Victor entered the room he saw Sophia wearing a plain black, floor length dress with a single sash around her waist. It was so simple, yet it seemed to suit her quite well. She little makeup and plain high heels which also both seemed to suit her. Her auburn hair was in wavy curls behind her ears, accenting the beauty and thoughtfulness emanating from her gray eyes.

"You look quite beautiful this morning, my Lady," Victor said, bowing before her.

Sophia smiled. "Why thank you Victor! It's never unpleasant to receive a sincere compliment from you," she said with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Am I to assume you are prepared to proceed to the dining room for this morning's breakfast?" Victor asked, motioning towards the door.

"Indeed I am," Sophia replied, walking up to him.

As they walked down the hall to the dining room, Victor took Sophia's hand, guiding her along. Though one might usually infer this as a sign of possible intimacy between the servant and his mistress, Victor's unwavering professional composure would have been enough to convince anyone otherwise, and that this was nothing more than a polite gesture of courtesy from a man to a woman.

Their shadows lined perfectly on the pristine Spanish style walls and decoration. The architecture had been hand carved by an expert in his field, Antoni Gaudi. He had engraved angels and beautiful animals in the walls, as a sign of the protection and serenity that the manor he hoped would symbolize. The manor thought had seen many acts of cruelty and violence, some of which would haunt Sophia for the rest of her life. It was Victor who had helped her regain herself and move on after all of this. It was his influence that made these engravings seem truly angelic for the first time. His influence on Sophia had helped her bring light into the once darkened manor, and their shadows meant nothing in a place such as this.

Along their walk to the dining hall, Victor proceeded to inform Sophia of the day plan.

"As you requested, my Lady, we have a tutor who will be arriving today and every Thursday henceforth at one thirty in the afternoon for one hour in an attempt to help you improve your musical skills."

"I still feel a bit of irritation from the memory of when that Countess Morgana called me uneducated and uncivilized when she found out I couldn't play a single instrument..." Sophia grumbled in annoyance.

"Pardon my questioning mistress," Victor said, "But I don't believe the Countess Morgana can play an instrument either."

"No, but I do believe a proper Lady should have at least a basic knowledge of the fine arts," Sophia said, her pride becoming clear.

"Mistress," Victor said with concern, "First of all, your knowledge of art itself is astronomical."

"I understand," she replied sighing.

"And second of all, your lack of musical knowledge is not entirely your fault. Your original family background prevented you from learning in your youth, and I suppose my incompetence is to blame for your not learning in your current stature."

Sophia smiled at him. "Thank you Victor. That makes me feel better, but I seriously doubt that you can possess even a shred of incompetence."

"You flatter me, my Lady," Victor stated, regaining his original direction of conversation. "But anyways, back to business."

"Yes Victor," Sophia said, "Please inform me of the rest of my daily plan."

"The only other event which will affect you today, my Lady, is the small party we are having tonight. The guests will be arriving at approximately five thirty in the evening."

"Ah yes. If I recall, we are holding a dinner meeting for the board of directors tonight."

"It is more of a celebration with their official recognition of you as a member of the board with them."

"It is quite exciting to be considered among some of the most powerful people in all of England."

"My Lady, that means you have quite a reputation to uphold."

"Then we should show the board every single hospitality we can provide to them." She looked up at Victor and smiled. "Isn't that right Victor?"

He returned the smile with his own.

"Of course."

There was a slight pause in their conversation as they approached the dining hall. As Victor opened the door to the dining hall for Sophia, she began to wonder if the situation that night would invite an 'unwelcome guest' who might attempt to ruin her reputation or worse. So through her stress and worry, Sophia stopped, for she felt the need to ask Victor one last question before she decided to enter the room.

"Victor...," she began, concern weighing down on her.

"Sophia," he said, assurance laced throughout his voice.

As Sophia looked up into his eyes, she felt a feeling of comfort. Of compassion. Of trust. Even without his response, she could tell what he was going to say. As she turned her head away, she knew he was right.

He always was.

 _We show all of our guests the reputation for what we have claimed. That includes every hospitality for those who align with us and every punishment for those who dare to oppose us. That is our duty to ourselves and to her majesty._

As Sophia looked back at Victor one last time before she entered the room, she said, "I understand our situation." She paused before asking, "You will of course show _all_ of our guests the reason we are considered one of the most powerful people in all of England, right? That is our responsibility after all."

Even if she had turned and walked away, his response would have still echoed in her head. It always did.

"Yes, my Lady."


End file.
